]]>Marriage is Not Hardhttp://blog.chashathaway.com/marriage-is-not-hard/
Wed, 30 Apr 2014 14:50:35 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/marriage-is-not-hard/Maybe Jenni and I are just weird, and maybe we’re naïve, since we’ve only been married 10 years, but we feel like marriage isn’t hard. Marriage is not tough. Life is tough. Life stinks sometimes. It can be excruciatingly painful and hard, but marriage is one of the best systems for dealing with the difficulty life presents. Having someone to talk to, to lean on, to reach out to, to serve, to help, to confide in, to love, to cry with, to hold, makes life manageable.

Even the genuine differences of opinion, and different views on various topics aren’t difficult in marriage. Pride and selfishness are hard, and cause problems, but pride isn’t marriage, and selfishness isn’t marriage. Those things hurt marriage, damaging our best system for dealing with the difficulties of life.

Life is hard. Sin is hard. Pride and selfishness are hard, with or without marriage. Marriage is not hard.

What I’m talking about is less intended as a statement of “fact,” and more of a statement of perspective. And while words alone do nothing to dramatically change the day to day experiences of life in an extremely challenging and cruel world, a change in the way we see the world around us can. What I’m promoting is a paradigm shift: an entirely different way of viewing marriage.

I see marriage as a perfect ideal. Marriage is selfless, kind, generous, loving, patient, empowering, binding, synergistic, and even exalting. Marriage is something that goes well beyond the simple addition of two individuals entering a life-long partnership. It’s the essence that takes that initial partnership and turns it into the germinating seeds of divine companionship. Marriage, as an institution, ordained of God, is perfect. It lifts, it deepens, and it expands. It has no flaws, and it always pulls people together.

People, on the other hand, are flawed. People are imperfect. People are emotionally, mentally, intellectually, and physically unstable in countless ways. We’re mortals living on a very, very mortal world. Life on this earth is intended to be hard. It’s intended to be infuriatingly challenging, almost to the point of impossible, for one simple reason. We are the direct offspring of God. No simple life would suffice to teach embryonic deities the essential lessons to become all that our Father intends us to be. Life, in all its stages, was never intended to be easy.

God sends us here because He knows what we have the power to become. He has given us the tools necessary to become like He is. There’s a reason that the family is central to God’s plan. It’s not just a way of keeping us organized. It’s not just a way of saving us from loneliness. Marriage is an exalting organization. It’s an endowment of power, the very seed of exaltation. There’s a reason that the sealing covenant is called the covenant of exaltation. Marriage, most especially temple marriage, actually begins that process.

And yet, in all of this, we’re still imperfect, flawed, mortal beings. But we’re learning. We’re growing. We’re failing (a LOT), and if we’re taking the right approach, we’re learning from our failures and becoming better. That process is hard. It’s really hard. But it’s not the exalting powers and gifts given by God that make it so hard. It’s the imperfect, flawed, mortal parts of ourselves that make it hard.

I don’t deny that life as a married person is hard. Life as an anything is hard. But marriage itself—that ennobling, binding, wondrous blessing that strengthens us as a couple and as a family to endure the crosses of life—is not hard. It’s wonderful, liberating, and joyful.

The problems arrive when I act against my marriage. When I am selfish, when I am prideful, when I forget to exercise the power God has bestowed upon me in order to bless, strengthen, and love my wife, I am being a problem. And at those times, I need to change. I can’t act against what I know is right without hurting my marriage, and marriage is the very embodiment of everything I know to be right.

That’s why I can never blame marriage for any of life’s problems. Marriage lifts. Sin pulls down. Marriage exalts. Pride and selfishness damn.

When I find that I’m not measuring up, I don’t blame my marriage, and I don’t blame my wife. I try hard not to allow myself to get too discouraged with myself, either. And the simple way to avoid discouragement is to change—to humble myself, apologize, and change my behavior. I know I won’t be perfect in this life, but the journey is so empowering and ennobling that I can’t give it up, I can’t stop. And I certainly won’t ever throw away one of the best tools available for making that happen for both me and my wife. We’re in this for the long run. We’re in it forever. It’s not eternity or bust, it’s just eternity.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been digesting the album “The Broken Vessels” from a new group called “Tiny Boats”. It’s been a somewhat humbling, stupefying, and inspiring experience, and by the time this review is done, you’ll understand why I chose those words.

When I review an album, I lean not only on my perspective as music lover, but also on my experience and insight as a songwriter, musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Perhaps that makes me more critical, as I tend to analyze the album rather than simply listen to it, but I find it actually helps me better understand the artistry and effort behind each project.

The first few seconds of this album made me nervous… as I heard a simple acoustic guitar part, drenched in an infinite sea of reverb I braced myself for the worst…. Oh please, don’t let this be painful to my tender ears!!! And then…just a couple of seconds into the song – I found myself completely entranced in the music. But, more on that later….

This album is hard to describe, but it is a fantastic blend of styles, ambitiously produced, with songs that have been crafted by lyrical and musical artisans – leaving them with a level of depth and artistry that is sorely lacking in so much of the cookie-cutter music that is popular today.

This may be the first album from Tiny Boats, but it is actually not the first time that the members have worked together. Jason and Jesse previously worked on a number of songs under the name of Herod the Fink. I don’t know why they chose to work under a new name on this project, but it was a good choice, as Tiny Boats reflects a maturity that leaves the old “Herod the Fink” tracks sounding pretty amateurish by comparison. This album represents a new beginning for them – not because they have abandoned their “old” sound, but because they have perfected it and taken it to an entirely different level.

Stylistically – where to begin? American and European folk, rock, pop, indie rock, even a little country and punk… somehow all rolled together in a fairly dramatic, sometimes theatrical format. At times they sound very “retro”, as if they were straight out of the early days of rock, and at other times they sound very progressive, even reminiscent of rock legends such as Rush. Still other times they flirt with modern pop rock sounds that typify bands such as Imagine Dragons, and still other times they bring to mind the quirky folk inspired sounds of Midas Whale.

The album production seems thoughtfully done, with layer after layer of sounds alternating with stripped down, intimate sections of music. The songs are dynamic from start to finish, and the fusion of many styles keeps the project interesting from one song to the next.

While some songs are certainly stronger or more enjoyable than others, I didn’t really feel that there were any “fluff” songs on the album – each song seems to hold it’s own. The first song on the album – “Burn in the Sun”- is a fantastic song that provides a very strong opening to the album, and quickly makes my favorites list. Next up is “Being and Doing” which brings to mind the “Rush” sound I mentioned previously. Midway through the album, the song “I Built These Walls” borders on chaotic at times as they push the boundaries of their eclectic style, starting with a slow, intimate, and produced sound and then working their way into a high speed, less polished “garage band” type of sound and then alternating back and forth several times between these two incredibly different styles. Strangely enough, they seem to do it with ease. As they dive into “We Waited for Sunshine” they give off a retro vibe reminiscent of the late 50′s and early 60′s. Skipping ahead to “Polaris”, they have a melancholy sound that is very sparse at some times, and richly layered at other times, with a creative approach to the production that helps it stand out on the album – this was definitely another favorite of mine. The album ends with “Broken Vessels” – a fast paced song that seems to blend folk and punk, a sound that is certainly a big part of their “signature” sound.

I mentioned earlier that my attempt at reviewing this album left me humbled, stupefied, and inspired. The stupefied part is that there is so much to say about this album that I’m at a loss for words. How do I communicate the interesting blend of styles? The very dramatic and theatrical moments in their arrangements? The way they effortlessly shift between a stripped down and intimate feel and a highly produced, layered feel? The genuine songs that are not written from formulas, but are written from the heart? I can only say – give it a listen.

As for being humbled, I sincerely am. Frankly, I was not a huge fan of “Herod the Fink”, (sorry guys!) and despite Jason’s long history with music and recording, my impression is that he is still a relative newcomer in the world of recording and producing. I’m humbled because his production work certainly doesn’t sound like that of a newcomer at all, but that of a seasoned pro. The passion and honesty of the songs are not lost in the production: at times, I can hear the little “human” elements in their performances that come from real musicians, which I truly enjoy. Clearly, as musicians and also as a production team, Tiny Boats is not afraid of blazing their own trail and doing so with style.

But mostly, I’m inspired. In this day and age of “bubble gum” pop, and cookie-cutter production, Tiny Boats offers a refreshing experience that draws on great musical inspirations from the past, and packages them boldly, with a modern sound and style all their own. With a fairly average voice, a home studio, and a band made up of only 2 people, Tiny Boats has created something special – not with gimmicks, but with good writing, good production, and obvious passion.

So how about it? Are you up to the challenge? For one month—specifically, through the month of February, no Facebook. Logoff, and other than websites that use Facebook to login, No logging back in until March. It’s just for a month—and the shortest month at that.

I’m going to do it. And just so you know, I love Facebook. I have nothing against it. Obviously, like any potentially good thing, it can become a serious time-waster, but it’s a great way to keep in contact with friends and family.

This is just for the challenge of it, really. Are you with me? Think you can do it? Eh? Eh? When your done, come back and tell us how it went, what you learned, what you missed, and all the many things you got done in February

Oh, and you’re welcome to steal the image above if you want to make it your cover photo so your FB friends know where you went.

1. Decide to get yourself a bowl of cereal. This is a big one. Without the conscious decision, it will never happen. You’ve got to approach this whole-heartedly, or the enormity of the task will overtake you, and you will decide it’s not worth the effort.

2. Get out of bed. Ignore the sounds coming from the other room (so as to avoid discouragement at the thought of trying to get a bowl of cereal with all that going on).

3. Put on a robe and glasses. The importance of this will become more obvious later, but yeah, you’re kids don’t really want to see you in your underwear.

4. Take a deep breath, and step out of the room. No seriously, take a deep breath. You’ll be glad you did. Just don’t let it out yet.

5. Change the youngest child’s diaper. Hence the need for the deep breath.

6. Run the dirty diaper outside to the trash. Now, aren’t you glad you put the robe on? Ignore the awkward glances coming from your neighbors. You may want to stand on the heater a few moments when you return to melt the snow between your toes.

7. Wash the bowl of the youngest child. The other kids will wash their own bowls, but not the littlest, and believe me, you don’t want to be eating cereal without supplying the youngest with a bowl of cereal, too.

8. Wash your spoon. I don’t know who got it out and soiled it, but there you have it.

9. Pour the kids some cereal. The order of pouring the cereal doesn’t matter, but the order of pouring the MILK is crucial. Make sure you get milk LAST. In fact, just to make sure, don’t get your milk yet. Just get everyone else’s. Oh, and don’t let the other kids pour their own milk, or it will be gone before you get any.

10. Let the dog out. You don’t want to miss this step.

11. Let the dog in. Potentially you could leave him out while you eat your cereal, but the excessive barking may upset your neighbors. It’s up to you on that one.

12. Pour your own milk. Now the countdown to sogginess begins, so before doing this one, make sure no extra steps have shown up that are waiting for your attention.

13. Put the milk and cereal away. If you don’t, both will be magically wasted and gone before you come back for more.

14. Ignore the incessant demands for bread for toast. The kids can finish their cereal before they make toast. Plus, you haven’t eaten anything yet.

15. Break up the fight between the two middle children. Give them a brief lecture about kindness.

16. Take your cereal in your bedroom. Unfortunately, this is also essential, unless you want 1, 2, or 19 more steps randomly showing up before you get to take the first bite.

17. LOCK THE DOOR. Otherwise step 15 will be useless.

18. Say your morning prayers. Ideally, this would be done before step 1, but if you’re like me, you forgot. Oh, well. That way you can ask a blessing on your meager breakfast at the same time.

19. Eat your cereal.

]]>Timehttp://blog.chashathaway.com/time/
Sat, 11 Jan 2014 00:17:24 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/time/No wonder there’s never enough time. No wonder we grow up too fast. No wonder we’re always in a hurry. We aren’t native to time. Time is not our native state.

We’re eternal beings locked in a world that’s governed by time. The result is, we’re constantly wrestling with it, constantly trying to come to terms with this thing that demands our attention.

Maybe that’s why this life is called a probationary period—a time to prepare to meet God. A time to prove to Him that we will follow Him.

There isn’t much we know about the spirit, and the spirit world. But we know a few things. For one, we know that change, growth, and progression, are easier in the physical state, while we have a body. In Spencer W. Kimball’s masterpiece, “The Miracle of Forgiveness,” he quotes Melvin J. Ballard, who said:

“…But this life is the time in which men are to repent. Do not let any of us imagine that we can go down to the grave not having overcome the corruptions of the flesh and then lose in the grave all our sins and evil tendencies. They will be with us. They will be with the spirit when separated from the body.
“This life is the time to repent. That is why I presume it will take a thousand years after the first resurrection until the last group will be prepared to come forth. It will take them a thousand years to do what it would have taken but three-score and ten to accomplish in this life…
“…When we go out of this life, leave this body, we will desire to do many things that we cannot do at all without the body. We will be seriously handicapped, and we will long for the body; we will pray for that early reunion with our bodies. We will know then what advantage it is to have a body.”

So perhaps time is a struggle for us, but the alternative is to be in a state that makes change and progression more difficult. And who knows? Maybe time is one of the reasons change is easier in the physical state. Thoughts?

]]>When There are No Words, God Still Hearshttp://blog.chashathaway.com/when-there-are-no-words-god-still-hears/
Thu, 09 Jan 2014 22:28:23 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/when-there-are-no-words-god-still-hears/Let’s face it, there are sometimes when we kneel to pray, and the words don’t come. There are times when someone else is suffering so badly that we can’t begin to know how to help, let alone respond. There are times when despite our best efforts, nothing works, and there is nothing we can do about it.

It’s at those times, I remind myself of this simple principle: when there are no words, God still hears.

I remember once talking to a woman once who was afraid to pray. It seemed that every time she tried, something would go wrong. Her life itself had paralyzed her from the ability to kneel and speak to God.

Though I couldn’t pretend to know what she was going through, I was having a pretty tough time myself at the time. Not knowing what else to say, I told her that I too, have had times when it was difficult to pray. For me it was never out of fear, but out of frustration, anger, guilt, or dismay.

“At those times,” I told her, “all I can seem to do is listen. If I have no words to say, I simply address my Father in Heaven and then listen in my heart. I know that our Father in Heaven can hear the words that we cannot say, and will answer those prayers. But pray to Him, even if all you can do is listen.”

At that time, I discovered the truth of Elder Packer’s words that “In your emotions, the spirit and the body come closest to being one,”* because as I spoke, the Spirit grew very strong, and I wept.

I know now that at those times of struggle, when I felt that there were no words to speak in my prayers, and I simply opened my prayer and then listened—my heart was speaking, even though my mind was silent. Since that conversation I’ve thought about that concept often. Sometimes my heart feels so empty that I feel that there is nothing to say. Sometimes I feel so ashamed that I can’t bare to speak a word—even in my mind. Sometimes I feel so hurt that I can’t find the words to speak.

Through such experiences, I have discovered something about our Father in Heaven. He is the most perfect listener in the universe. He can hear words that are not even spoken in the mind. I wonder sometimes if the spirit of a person communicates in a different way than by language. I wonder if it speaks through feelings and concepts. Whether or not this is the case, I know that our Father in Heaven hears those feelings as clearly as if I’d shouted them out loud.

I wouldn’t suggest that our prayers ought not include words. I believe that these things are necessary to building and strengthening our relationship with God, especially in offering thanks, petitioning for the Lord’s help, and in the repentance process. I believe that prayer should include entire conversations with Heavenly Father. But on those rare moments when we cannot seem to say the words, whatever the reason, if we open our prayer and simply listen for a few minutes, we will hear and learn things that we may have never been able to learn in any other way.

By our becoming acquainted with God’s beautiful power to listen to the words we do not speak, we will learn to listen to the finer, purer, wordless messages that He sends so regularly to our hearts.

]]>I Am Not a “Manly” Manhttp://blog.chashathaway.com/i-am-not-a-manly-man/
Thu, 09 Jan 2014 00:21:05 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/i-am-not-a-manly-man/I have a confession to make. I’m no manly man. I’m sure this confession is no surprise to those who know me well, but others have a hard time accepting the fact.

Point 1: Ixnay on watching sports.

I hate football (I wouldn’t want to play it, let alone watch it). I would rather sit in a silent room with the lights off than sit in a room with sports playing on a screen. By FAR. Blegh. No thanks. That pretty much goes for all sports, but football is at the top of my never-want-to-watch list. Don’t get me wrong, I love physical activity. Don’t challenge me to a dance-off unless you want to lose. I even enjoy a number of sports. But NOT football, and NOT watching someone else have all the fun.

Point 2: I’m no handyman.

Sure, I’m comfortable with power-drill or hammer, but don’t ask me to use it to fix stuff. I usually make things much worse when I try.

I’m constantly visiting the hardware store, but not for the reason you might think. I try so hard to avoid the associates. Not that I don’t think they can help. No doubt they could point me exactly where I need to go. But they always ask that dreaded, satanic question, “So, what are you working on?” DAAAAAAAAHHHHH!

Don’t get me wrong. I totally get their intent. They’re being nice, and it’s a very nice question to ask a manly man.

“Ahem…” I start, “Well, see… it’s a… well, it’s kind of a…” and finally, recognizing I’m cornered, and can only make it worse by drawing out the moment, say, “A Marimba—it’s like an African Xylophone,” or “A three-octave pentatonic Native American pan flute,” or, “A didgeridoo with a rainstick embedded inside it.”

Their eyes glaze over, and while they’re deciding whether my words are something that can responded to, I slip away and purchase my supplies.

Point 3: Asking directions

Point 4: I’m domestic

I enjoy cooking, I do laundry, dishes, clean the bathroom, and grocery shop. And not because I’m “helping” my wife. It’s my job, and I do it. I chose those tasks, and I do them—usually cheerfully. I would FAR rather do dishes, mop the floor, AND scrub all the counters than even open the hood of a car. Which brings me to the next point.

Point 5: I hate cars

There aren’t many things I hate, really. But I’ve mentioned watching sports, home-repair, and explaining my projects to hardware store assistance, but cars—especially fixing cars, tops the lot. If I had to choose between scrubbing the putrescent floors of a hog farm and fixing a car, hand me the scrubber. I long for the day when transporters are invented so I don’t have to get into those ridiculous driving machines again.

And if you ever get in a conversation with me about cars, don’t be surprised if I offer to talk about a more pleasant topic, such as what I discovered in my child’s vomit.

Point 6: I’m a jabber-mouth

I talk. A lot. Just not about cars, football, and home-improvement projects. Actually, I find women a lot more interesting to talk to than men, because they actually talk about interesting things, like gardening, books, child-psychology, cooking, and relationships. If you’re ever in a conversation with me, and you find me a little quiet, it’s either because I’m being genuinely shy, or you’re trying to talk about manly subjects.

Point 7: I LOVE Kids

I’ve always adored kids. The younger the better. I tried for years to get a job working in a day care, but the most common reason they’d give for turning me down was that, straight and simple, I’m a guy. So I got married and grew my own day care.

The Funnest calling I ever had (and the one I would have most enjoyed doing until the day I died) was teaching the Sunbeams.

And yes, I willingly change my kids’ diapers.

]]>Intenthttp://blog.chashathaway.com/intent/
Wed, 08 Jan 2014 00:32:19 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/intent/
]]>Why I Stand with the Prophet in Every Issuehttp://blog.chashathaway.com/why-i-stand-with-the-prophet-in-every-issue/
Thu, 02 Jan 2014 02:56:29 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/why-i-stand-with-the-prophet-in-every-issue/Some people are bothered by my statement that I stand by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on every issue. I’d like to talk about that for a few minutes, because it seems to come up often.

I think one of the reasons this statement bothers people is because independent thought and conscious choice are such valuable and essential aspects of the plan of happiness. And I agree, those things are absolutely essential, and it’s for that very reason that I feel as I do. Some would say that being so loyal to the church and its leaders is a way of handing my agency to someone else. That’s a valid concern. But remember, this is my agency. I have to choose what I do, choose what I believe, and choose whether or not to act on what I believe. Well, it’s simple. I choose to stand by the church in every issue. That’s my agency in action. That’s what I choose, and I will continue to choose it all my life. It takes a great deal of character and loyalty to make a choice like that. It takes courage, faith, and determination. It takes work. And that’s the choice I am making.

Another concern some have is that by simply obeying, I’m allowing someone else (or perhaps the church itself) to do the thinking for me. The concern is that I’m just being the obedient workhorse plugging away, pulling when I’m asked to pull (even if I don’t know what I’m pulling), and traveling when I’m asked to travel (even if I don’t know where I’m going). That too, is a valid concern. But there’s one thing that this concern isn’t taking into consideration. Who is most likely to be thinking—like, really, deeply, meaningfully thinking about the thing we’ve been commanded? Think about it. Which of these three are most likely to do the most thinking about the particular issue:

The person from the outside, whose not at all interested in heeding the counsel;

The one in the church, but looking for the reasons, wandering and waiting for solid logic and reason before proceeding; or

The person actively doing the thing requested.

I believe those actively obeying are doing a great deal more thinking about the issue than anyone else. They’re the ones who stand by the teaching regardless of the persecution, legal ramifications, or abuse against them for doing so.

I can’t speak for everyone, but when the Lord commands something, or teaches a principle, or proclaims a doctrine, by his living prophet—even if it’s something I don’t personally understand or agree with, and I act on it, stand by it, and teach it, I can assure you I’m doing a boat-load of thinking, pondering, praying, and studying about it.

And while I’m sure both the obedient person and the disobedient person are looking to different sources for their answers, and may come to very different conclusions, I’m confident that almost always, the obedient person has put a lot more time, thought, and energy into the matter than the disobedient.

And every time I’ve obediently proceeded, and simultaneously thought, studied, prayed, and questioned the teaching, I’ve always come to see the deep spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical significance of the thing taught. I’m always left in awe at the wisdom and foresight the Lord has demonstrated in everything He has ever requested of me.

Another factor that can be difficult to explain to people is the matter of personal revelation. Even many who believe mostly as I do conclude that before they will proceed, they must receive personal inspiration from God that the teaching is right. I think it comes down to what kind of testimony a person has. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t call one type of testimony “superior” to another, but I do believe that the closer we come to the Savior, and the stronger our testimony is, the more we will be able to place our faith in Him without reservation. And the more we do so, the faster the further light and understanding come.

I once heard the prophet of God teach a principle, and I immediately accepted it. Not in a shoulder shrugging compliance, but because as he spoke, the Holy Spirit filled my heart, testifying clearly and unmistakably that the principle being taught was true. I had long since received a personal testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost that the prophet was truly called of God, and that His words, if heeded, would always lead me aright. My experience with the Spirit in that particular meeting simply strengthened that testimony. Several days later, while speaking to a friend about the teaching, she said, “But what about finding out the truth for ourselves? That may be what the prophet said, but I can’t believe it unless the Lord tells me personally as well.”

My friend was holding back until she could receive an independent testimony of the principle taught. But I’ve found that when I listen with a believing heart, I often receive that answer the moment the teaching is given. Then, the questions most worth asking the Lord are things like, how should I apply the principle in my own life, for my situation? Or what can I do to best teach this principle to others?

I have heard some suggest that those members of the church prior to 1978 that weren’t picketing against the church’s stand on the priesthood were in the wrong—that they should have been more actively involved in bringing about the change. I see two problems with that. First, it’s the Lord who made the change, not the saints. And second, those in a position to receive the revelation (Spencer W. Kimball and the twelve apostles) never once voiced a single word of opposition to the policy of the Lord’s church at that time. They received assurance from the Lord that the time would come, but they were not told when. They petitioned as they felt moved upon by the Holy Ghost. Only after faithful compliance and diligent prayer did the Lord finally give the revelation that changed church policy forever.

There were previous generations of prophets who petitioned the Lord on the very same issue, and they were turned away. The Lord knew what He was doing, and every church leader stood firm by the policy, because that’s what loyalty is. They didn’t understand it, and though they had questions, and brought them before the Lord, they always stood true to the answers given.

I feel to do the same.

That brings up another important point. Sometimes a principle isn’t intended to be fully understood before the commandment or revelation is given. A good example of this is plural marriage in the early days of the church. Some today are troubled that the church once practiced it. But the revelation to live that principle is not given to us today. We are not to practice plural marriage—and if we make the attempt, we will be excommunicated. We can’t expect a testimony of the full meaning of plural marriage right now because we are commanded not to live it. We accept in faith the fact that the Lord has different instructions to different people at different times.

Many saints in the early days of the church were commanded to live it, and with the commandment came the understanding and testimony. A great example of this was Brigham Young.

Would it surprise you to learn that Brigham Young was deeply troubled by the principle? He thought it had come from an evil source. But instead of picketing against it, or speaking out about it publicly, he prayed to the Lord about it. When, up to that point, it wasn’t enough, he spoke to the prophet himself. He discussed it with Joseph in a private conversation—not in a meeting with other elders, but in the privacy of his front yard one evening after the prophet walked him home. The only reason we know about the conversation is because the night was warm, and Brigham’s wife had her window open to cool her room, and she overheard the conversation.

According to S. Dilworth Young:

Down this road came Brigham Young and Joseph Smith. She (Brigham’s wife) heard Brigham say to Joseph, “Joseph, the doctrine of eternal marriage as you described it to me is not from the right source.”

Joseph Smith said to him, “It is from the right source, and you will know it, Brother Brigham.”

Brother Brigham then moved toward the door to open the latch, and Joseph Smith walked on up the street. Then Brigham stopped. He didn’t pull the latch string. He suddenly called out, “Joseph! Joseph! The Lord has revealed it to me!”

My point in sharing this account is to say that sometimes we’re not intended to fully understand or receive a testimony of a principle before the commandment is given. But if we are faithful, and a revelation is given that might contradict our previous views, and we seek the Lord’s guidance, He will provide us with a testimony of the principle. It may not come all at once, like Brigham’s, but when it does come, it will be so clear and sure that we may come to wonder how we could have ever seen things differently. And in the meantime, if we remain faithful and loyal to what the Lord has already revealed, we place ourselves in the best position possible to receive more light and knowledge when the Lord sees fit.

In regards to honest questions, or even doubts, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a beautiful bit of wisdom that I wholeheartedly stand by when he said,

When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes…

When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.

When it comes down to it, I stand with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on every issue because God has revealed to me by the power of the Holy Ghost that the living prophet has been called of God, that he speaks the word of God to the church, and that if I follow his counsel regardless of the consequences, I will be doing the right thing. I will be acting according to the will of God for me. That testimony has been burned so deeply into me that I can’t deny it without calling God a liar to His face. I know it’s true. The Lord leads this church. And what a beautiful thing that is! The Lord speaks to us through the living prophet, and God has revealed the truth of His words to me.

]]>If You Knew Who You Really Are…http://blog.chashathaway.com/if-you-knew-who-you-really-are/
Tue, 31 Dec 2013 00:33:30 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/if-you-knew-who-you-really-are/If you knew who you really are…

You’d forgive.
You’d love life.
You’d smile more.
You’d stop hesitating.
You’d give more freely.
You’d never doubt again.
You’d never fear the future.
You’d be willing to make the hard choices.
You’d recognize others for who they really are.
You’d be content with the reflection in the mirror.
You’d turn every day into something worth remembering.

If you knew who God really is…

You’d make every day something for the world to remember.
You’d be confident with the reflection in the mirror.
You’d see Christ in the face of everyone you meet.
You’d make the hard choices without question.
You’d be excited about the future.
Your faith would move mountains.
You’d give Him your everything.
You’d forever move forward.
You’d make people happy.
You’d radiate love.
You’d forgive all.

If you don’t know who you are, ask God, and He will show you to you. Do what He says, and He will show Himself to you.

And you’ll never be the same again.

]]>Ten Ways I See The World Different Than I Did 10 Years Agohttp://blog.chashathaway.com/ten-ways-i-see-the-world-different-than-i-did-10-years-ago/
Sat, 28 Dec 2013 06:50:53 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/ten-ways-i-see-the-world-different-than-i-did-10-years-ago/You know how teachers, parents, and dates always like to ask, “What do you see yourself doing in ten years?”

Well, a lot has happened in the last ten years, and though I’m not where I expected to be, I’m happy where I am, and I’ve learned a lot. And though I don’t have any regrets, there are several lessons that would have made the ride smoother, or at least more comfortable, had I known them ten years ago. So this is advice I give my ten-years-ago self, in hopes that it might benefit someone else in a similar situation.

1. Education is more important than schooling.

Flickr photo by jameskm03

Don’t get me wrong, schooling is incredibly valuable! But the things that have made me most successful are the things I learned while studying stuff that wasn’t required for school. Obviously, some careers require the paper diploma, but the skills used in a career don’t. And the stuff that sets you apart from all the other diploma holders (and non-diploma holders), is what you teach yourself during your off hours.

2. You can do a lot more than you think you can.

This is a big one. While there are many paved roads to desired destinations, there are far more roads “less traveled by,” and sometimes the best path for you to get to a destination is by a route that has never been tried. You always have more options than you think you do, and when you genuinely put in the effort, things will go much better than you think they will.

3. You don’t need X amount of dollars to make it.

Flickr photo by Doug88888

There’s no shame in poverty, especially when you have a goal, a mission, and a plan. Likewise, you don’t need a regular paycheck to live. Having your own business often involves extremely inconsistent funds. A great month doesn’t mean a short time of higher living, but it’s what makes life possible during the inevitable bad months. Oh, and you can survive on a single income—even with a big family, and that income is really small.

4. (Similarly) Financial survival while starting a business requires learning to be ridiculously smart/clever with money.

We’ve had to learn several tricks over the years, but while going full time with our family business, we’ve had to become even more savvy about saving, budgeting, and preparing for the future. For the past year, we’ve often been living off money we made months ago. And believe it or not, business books/podcasts/programs are a lot more interesting than they seem like they’d be.

5. What you think you’d like to do may not be what you’d really like to do.

Learning what you really want to do with your life is tough, since there’s no way to know if you’d like a path until you’ve been at it a long time. The trick, in my opinion, is to try a lot of things. Sometimes skimming the surface is enough to find out that you don’t want to do something, but the only way to know if you’ll really love doing something is to go into it full throttle, diving into the depths. And the moment you discover for certain that you don’t want the destination you’re headed for, get out. Get on your new path as fast as possible. You’ll recognize your true path when you can acknowledge that the worst parts of it are totally worth it for the rest of it.

6. Marriage Doesn’t Change a Person—at least not in the way you might think

Andrew Morrell Photography

This is something that we all know intellectually, but being unmarried, it’s impossible to really grasp. All the attributes of patience, kindness, and service you’re striving to learn now really will serve you well in marriage, but only as you use them with your present family—your parents, your siblings, the people you live with and see every day. Oh, and keep reading all the relationship advice books, conference talks on marriage, etc. They’ll be exceptionally useful. And by the way, the talk (the define-the-relationship talk) isn’t nearly as scary as you think it will be. It’s actually quite liberating!

7. Kids ROCK, but not always for the reason you think now.

Flickr photo by Swami Stream

Yeah, kids are a lot of fun a lot of the time, but they’re not fun a lot of the time, too. So it’s not their cuteness and the fun you have playing with them that’s going to make you a great parent. You have to be deliberate about teaching them to do what’s right, whether you feel like it at the time or not. Also, most of the good feelings you’ll have for your kids will come at times when you are consciously choosing to love and adore them regardless of their choices.

8. Every Constructive Hobby You Seriously Try Will Serve You Well

Flickr photo by British Council Russia

Be it artistic, digital, musical, horticultural, literary, culinary, athletic, scientific, psychological—any hobby you try will come in handy. Most will at some point help pay a bill, too, no matter how obscure it seems. So don’t be afraid to try new stuff and go deep into them.

9. Failure is Good. Failure is Necessary.

For the most part, you won’t have true success without failure—not in dating, not in careers, not in any worthy endeavor. Don’t fear failure. It won’t feel good at the time, but know it’s for your good. And it won’t always come in the ways you expect. Learn from it, and press forward. The person who won’t stay down can’t be defeated. And yes, despite what you may think, that includes you.

10. Keep Feeding Your Testimony of Jesus Christ. Never Stop.

Flickr: was_bedeutet_jemanden

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep insisting on good daily study of God’s word. And continue to love serving, working, and blessing the lives of others. You’ll never regret a single right decision you make. In fact, those choices will continue to provide new lessons that will build on old lessons to create greater and richer life lessons. Don’t worry about those who might think you’re going overboard or being fanatical. They don’t know what you’ll know in ten years. You just keep it up.

Why does every version of ‘Little Drummer Boy’ use a snare drum? I’m pretty sure they didn’t have snare drums back then. And that a snare drum would make a baby cry. Maybe a little native lap drum covered with animal hide, played gently? Or are we carrying the baby into the Battle of Gettysburg?

So right! Now, obviously, the Little Drummer Boy is a made up story, but let’s just say it were true. If it were true, what kind of drum would the drummer boy have? So I tried to look it up. Turns out the question is bigger than I thought it would be! So let’s journey the question together.

My first thought is a hebrew drum, since Jesus was a Hebrew. What kinds of drums did Hebrews use?

Here’s a common Hebrew drum called a Timbrel. These were common in Old Testament and New Testament times. You’ll notice it looks similar to the modern tambourine.

Then again, the song says, “I am a poor boy, too.” Which makes me think a drum like this was probably too expensive for a poor little boy. So let’s see about a poorer style. Maybe something without the timbrel bells…

Okay, I guess that works. This would be a common frame drum. Probably the best thing a Hebrew shepherd boy could get.

Nice.

But hang on, duh! The boy probably wasn’t a Hebrew at all. The song says, “Come, they told me, our finest gifts we bring.” He was tagging along with the wise men. Shoot. Start over…

Let’s see, so they’re from the east. Okay, ancient Asian drum.

Here’s a bronze drum from the Han Dynasty period (about 200 BC to 200 AD).But let’s face it, no little boy is going to be able to carry this metal chunk across the desert.

Can we try a little lighter?

This is a fun little asian drum, but still a little too posh for a poor boy.

This is the style of an ancient doumbek drum.These are from ancient Korea. Nice, but still a bit big for a little guy.

Okay, now we’re talking. This is in the same drum family, but called a miniature darbuka. Perfect for a little poor boy.

But before we decide conclusively, maybe we better double check to make sure the “east” referred to is Asia.

Quick search…

Okay, according to Wikipedia (the source of all truth… ahem… right), the wise men were more likely from Babylon, Persia, Yemen, Arabia, Pakistan, or India. Oh, man. Just to save us on time and effort, let’s assume that those places are close enough that we can find a common poor drum from a few of those areas, and assume it’s probably very similar to the drums you would find in the other areas. Okay… here we go.

Here’s an Indian thappu drum. Though I can’t be sure on how long these have been around, it looks basic enough that it may have been around at that time. I like how the leather wraps around the frame. It’s played with either two sticks, a big one and a small one, or by hand.

Here’s another view of the hand thappu.

Here’s a Persian drum called a Daf. It’s made of goat skin, and has rings inside to give it a little rattle as it’s played. This is probably the closest thing to a snare drum he might have. Though, again, being a poor boy, I’m guessing his wouldn’t have the rings.

Now this is one I can relate to. This is a frame drum from Pakistan, and looks, and likely sounds, similar to a Gaelic Bodhran. I have a bodhran. And though a little poor boy would have no problem carrying this wide frame drum, I’m guessing his would probably be a little smaller.

There. This is a simple Pakistan frame drum, and just for fun, it’s got a stick. You may notice this drum is almost identical to the Hebrew frame drum.

Actually, simple frame drums are one of the most universal drums of this era, and would therefore probably be the cheapest, and the easiest for a little boy to carry and play.

Here’s a video of a small frame drum:

My guess is that if there was a little drummer boy, his drum would look and sound something like this.

]]>Thoughts On Being Poorhttp://blog.chashathaway.com/thoughts-on-being-poor/
Fri, 20 Dec 2013 00:14:03 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/thoughts-on-being-poor/I have to be honest, I don’t feel very qualified to say much about poverty. I spent two years in Africa, where I saw real poverty. Compared to many of the people there, I’m rich.

Even so, according to Utah poverty guidelines, me and my family are way under—as in, we’d have to earn more than double our present income in order to even reach the poverty line, let alone get above it. So by Utah standards, we’re definitely poor.

So how is it? Good. Life’s awesome. Hard, to be sure, but great. We’re optimistic, full of faith and optimism, work our tails off, and our family is healthy and happy. I should give some context, though. None of us have any major health conditions, my kids are made of rubber (at least it seems that way, since their bonks and trips rarely need more than a kiss or bandaid). Our only debt is our home-mortgage, and yes, it’s a 30 year mortgage, and our house is a tiny modular home in a trailer park.

We pay tithing. Always. 100%. That always comes first no matter what. And I suspect that’s what makes the rest of our strategies work.

In case someone out there might be tempted to entirely blame our poverty to our choice to have me go full time with music and writing, I should also clarify that since getting married 9.5 years ago, we’ve always been under the poverty line. This move is actually the best step we’ve ever taken to work toward getting above that line.

We decided before we married that if at all possible, Jenni would be a full-time mom when the kids came, and not have a job outside the home. We’ve never even been tempted to consider putting our kids in daycare—not because we have something against daycare, we just don’t want it for our kids, ever. And lest anyone think that’s just the choice of one of us (such as one of us demanding it despite the other’s wishes), let me assure you, it’s always been a strong desire for both of us—and one of the things that drew us together when we were dating, and it’s a desire that has only strengthened for both of us with time.

That itself, having Jenni at home, has helped our poverty situation immensely, for several reasons. Obviously, no daycare costs, but it’s also helped maintain good health in our kids. In fact, this year we started homeschooling, and from the middle of summer (when we started working with the school curriculum we’re doing now) until now, our kids have only gotten flu/colds once, and that was around Thanksgiving, when we visit a lot of friends and family.

Having Jenni at home also allows her time to do a lot of the home-made products that we wouldn’t have time to produce otherwise, which I’ll speak more of shortly.

We’ve had to learn to be really smart with money. And we’re constantly learning and implementing new strategies. Everything from paying for our car insurance twice a year instead of monthly to save $3 per payment, to staying home from events because twenty miles just uses too much gas. There are so many little things that help.

We’ve also gotten pretty smart with our food. We’re becoming proficient at stockpiling. Basically, that means when the items we commonly eat go on sale, we buy hoards of it. As long as we keep ahead, we’ve almost always got all the food we need. Just as an example, we rarely ever pay more than $3/lb for cheese, $.10 an ounce for cereal (think $2 for 20 ounces of cereal, or $3.20 for 32 ounces, etc.), and $1/lb for fruit, such as oranges, apples, tomatoes, etc. That’s another thing poverty and stockpiling has done for us, it’s got us counting ounces and pounds and stuff. And when we do buy cereal, for example, we might buy five or six huge bags of it—and that’s all, in one grocery visit. We’ve learned that bread, milk, grated cheese (can you tell we’re big on cheese here?), and many forms of produce can be frozen for long periods of time.

When I mention to people some of the things that can be frozen, the response is sometimes, “Oh, but I don’t like frozen and thawed milk,” or, “but when I freeze and thaw bread, it goes a little bit stale, so I don’t like to do it,” I have to smile. We’ve just gotten ourselves used to those kinds of things. None of us in our household are picky about things like that. We’ve taught ourselves not to be. We’re very careful never to eat or feed our kids anything that’s molding, or going bad in any way. But there are lots of great ways to make food last a long time. And the foods that can’t last a long time, well, we just don’t buy them very often. In terms of stuff (diapers, soaps, deodorant, etc), we’ve got a great system for buying them online at incredible prices, and in big enough quantities that we get free shipping. No matter the item, there’s always a cheaper way to get it. It’s just a matter of planning and anticipating needs, and finding the right deals at the right time.

I think we’re to the point that if you handed $10 to me or Jenni, and $10 to a random other person, and said, “See who can get the most daily living stuff with this,” Jenni or I could probably womp the competitor almost every time.

We’ve learned to graciously accept stuff offered to us. People are so kind! It’s both impressive and touching how generous people are! Neighbors, friends, and family sometimes offer food, money, clothes, or other living needs, and we’re always grateful for it, and say so. It really does help! We’re not the type to ask for stuff from people, and I suppose they know it. But we’ve learned to gratefully take what’s offered.

When it comes to government help with food, we are on WIC—or, I should say, my two youngest kids are on WIC, and it helps. But if WIC wasn’t available, we’d still be fine. We’ve gotten pretty smart with food. And I suspect we’re eating significantly healthier than we would if we had all the money we’d like to have. There are brackets of healthy food prices. The quintessentially healthy advertised products are the most expensive, and then the typical foods that most people eat, which are healthy enough, and then theres the raw material foods that are both the cheapest and healthiest—and most time consuming to make. When you work in the lowest bracket, you save the most money and spend the most time in food preparation. You’re basically trading time for money, but it works, and it works well.

As I briefly mentioned, we’ve gotten pretty proficient at home-made products, and making foods from scratch. For example, we’ve learned how to make our own wipies, ranch dressing, laundry and dishwasher detergent, yogurt, powdered sugar, tortillas, pasta, and probably dozens of other things that don’t come to mind at the moment. Sometimes we even grind our own wheat. Pretty much, if something exists, there is a way to make it at home from scratch. Google has become a close household friend.

Pretty much, and we’re finding this more and more, we don’t usually need all the things we once thought we needed. When the money’s not there, you find a way to make things work. It’s also forced us to use incredible amounts of creativity.

I don’t know the last time I had new clothes from a department store. Thrift store or bust, baby! Jenni’s had to get a few things from Walmart, because they weren’t available in the thrift stores, but most of our clothes are either hand-me-downs or from a thrift store.

Cost entertainments are simply out. With the main exception of anniversaries, we don’t go to movies, we don’t go out to dinner, we don’t bowl (or any similar cost activity). We don’t even have Netflix, Hulu Plus, or Amazon Prime accounts (though we use free trials when they offer them—and they tend to offer them once a year or so, and we cut them off when the trial’s over). We’ve found plenty of free sources to legally see the shows and movies we want—just late. When we first married, we got $10 per month each as an allowance. Then it dropped to $5, and now it’s been years since I’ve had frivolous money… though I do have probably $3 in nickels in a drawer—and some ideas of how I might spend it. After awhile, cost entertainments just don’t matter much anymore. There are plenty of free entertainments, and life itself can be plenty entertaining if you get creative.

So, what about stigma? Meh. We try to ignore it.

I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m complaining. I’m not. Life rocks, even being poor. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m boasting, but we’re kind of pleased with how well we’ve been able to make use of what we’ve got. I mean, sheesh, with some of the terrible trials, challenges, and adversity so many people have to go through, poverty at this level doesn’t even hold a candle to things like loss of loved ones, severe health problems, or even (in my opinion) no time for dad to spend with the family. In all honesty, we feel immensely blessed.

What I haven’t touched on much is the benefits, and there are several.

Because of our school and work situations, we’re together—like, always. At least we’re all in the same house at the same time. I’m secluded in the bedroom while I work, but I get to eat lunch with my family, and I don’t work more than 40 hours a week.

Our family is a set. Other than business events, transactions, and purchases, we go almost everywhere together. And we’re all crazy about each other (as well as crazy around each other). Jenni and I, and the kids, have such a great time together. Some would call our life boring, but we find it adventurous and exciting in its own way, and we love it.

We have big dreams, and every intension of seeing their fulfillment, and we feel like we’re well on that path. I never thought we’d get this far this soon! And the best part is, we’re on that path together as a family, and we love it. If being poor now is part of the cost of being together and making our family dreams a reality, we’ll gladly pay it.

Let’s face it, we all have rough days once in awhile. Sometimes they seem to come more often than not, but either way, we will have bad moods sometimes. Sometimes we allow our bad moods to give us license to be unkind, selfish, or even cruel. So I’ve come up with a list of rules for myself to follow when I’m having a bad day. And let me clarify, this is not a list of ways to get back into a good mood. That’s a different subject entirely. These are rules for coping with a bad day or a bad mood.

Acknowledge your bad mood. It’s a rough day. Perhaps it’s one of many, but there it is. You’re in a bad mood. (This rule will help you come to terms with your state of mind so you can focus on following the rest of the bad day rules.)

Be gracious in your bad mood. It’s okay that you’re not cheerful. It’s even okay that you’re feeling grumpy, but you don’t have to let your bad mood control your actions. Be kind and considerate to other people, knowing you won’t feel warm and fuzzy inside for doing so.

You can still be useful without feeling useful. Since nothing you do will feel positive in much of any way, you may want to do an unpleasant task that needs doing, but that you’ve been avoiding. You may even find it a little therapeutic. Plus it’s been suggested by some experts that getting things done during a bad mood sometimes polishes the project considerably better, since you tend to be critical of the smallest defect.

Bite your tongue. Any time you’re tempted to respond with sarcasm or anger, just stop talking. If something has to be said, such as a conversation with your spouse or a coworker, say, “I can’t think about this right now,” or, “Can we talk about this later?” If it’s something that needs to be dealt with soon, include a specific time. “Do you mind if we continue this conversation after lunch? I need some time to sort through some things first.”

Go easy on others. By that, I mean, be softer with people, especially your spouse and kids. If it’s your kids, and they’re getting away with more trouble today, you can lightly inform them that this will be dealt with, just not today. When you’re in a good mood later (be it an hour or a week later), make sure they get the consequences for their trouble—maybe even a little tougher than usual, so they don’t use your bad moods to step on you. But don’t worry about what that will be now. You’re in a bad mood today. You have a free pass.

Go easy on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up over every little thing, as you will be tempted to do. It’s okay to have a bad hair day or a messy house, or whatever, on a bad mood day. Your bad mood pass doesn’t free you from the fulfillment of deeplyimportant habits and resolutions, but it does give you a right to not care while fulfilling them.

This may seem to contradict the last rule, but feel free to put young kids in timeout more today. Not in a spirit of meanness, but in an effort to avoid allowing them to fan the flame too much. Put them in and tell them, “We’ll talk about the reasons later.”

Consider the stress and frustration you’re suffering now as being good for you. Tempers aren’t good for you, and neither is lashing out. But graciously accepted bad moods can help build your stress resilience, including your bad-mood resilience, just by considering it healthy. You don’t have to egg it on by doing things that will make your mood worse. Just graciously put up with your mood, and your psyche will be strengthened for putting up with future bad days.

Regarding the problems that seem to either trigger or exacerbate your bad mood, tell yourself, “My fault, I’ll deal with it later,” often. This will do two things: it will keep you from developing a martyr complex (which is never constructive), and it will keep you thinking in terms of accountability for your actions. If it makes you feel worse to acknowledge that something is your fault or your problem, then put more mental emphasis on the second part: “I’ll deal with it later,” with the addition, “just not today!”

Lower your expectations. Cut your to-do list in half. You won’t get as much done, and that’s okay. You’ll do more on your next good day (which will come). If you can take a nap, go for a walk, or otherwise chunk out some time to slow down, do it. It’s my personal observation that it’s not too difficult to become thoughtful and ponderous on bad days. You may even be able to turn your inner grump into a thinker, if you can squeeze in some quiet time. Just don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t work. You are, after all, in a bad mood.

]]>See With New Eyeshttp://blog.chashathaway.com/see-with-new-eyes/
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 23:35:50 +0000Chashttp://blog.chashathaway.com/see-with-new-eyes/Think of someone. Anyone. It may be a family member, it may be a neighbor, or it may be someone you don’t really know well at all. Just think of someone.

Now, what do you know about this person? What is he doing with his life right now? What are her motivations? What keeps him going day after day. What is her prime directive?

We tend to know the answers to these questions for ourselves, but we rarely know them for others. To be fair, all the time and effort in the world probably wouldn’t fill in all the gaps in your understanding of another person.

But we can shrink those gaps.

So give it a try, with one person. What is it that makes them the unique, fascinating individual that they are? If they don’t seem unique and fascinating, it just means you don’t know them all that well. I guarantee, there is as much depth and heart in that person as there is in you. There is so much more you can learn from the person than you’ll ever have opportunity to fully explore. But chances are, you’ve never even scratched the surface. That’s okay. This is your opportunity. Do it now. And don’t stop at a recognition that they are an eternal being with endless potential. Try to find out what they are now. See what you can learn from them, and try to truly understand why they believe what they believe.

We all have power to do that with just about anyone we meet, but we rarely have the time or interest to do it. But give it a try, with just one person. See what happens.

My suspicion is that your eyes will be open to a new way of looking at life that you may never have considered otherwise. Either way, you are certain to learn a great deal about yourself, simply by trying.